The present invention relates to computer disk drives, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a top cover for a housing of a computer disk drive, the top cover incorporating stiffening features and gasket clearance enhancements.
Computer disk drives are precision electro mechanical devices which electronically store data and allow data to be manipulated in accordance with the functioning of a computing device in which the particular disk drive is installed. The components of a disk drive are found within a housing, typically constructed of a metal or metal alloy such as aluminum. The housing includes a top cover which is tightly sealed to the base assembly. In order to provide an adequate seal between the base assembly and the top cover, a compressible gasket is used as a sealing member. In order that the gasket be sufficiently compressed to seal the interior of the disk drive from the outside environment, a typical arrangement of at least six screws are used to secure the top cover to the base assembly. Because of the force required to sufficiently compress a sealing gasket, the top cover experiences certain deformation due to use of the screws. The top cover must have sufficient bending strength to prevent excessive top cover deformation which degrades the ability of the sealing gasket to seal the interior of the housing from the environment.
In order to minimize material and manufacturing costs, it is desirable to incorporate use of a top cover having a simple design, and a top cover requiring use of a minimum amount of material. Furthermore, it is advantageous to have a top cover which is adaptable for use with base assemblies which may be altered in their design to accommodate design changes in the components of the disk drive.
The present invention provides a top cover having a stiffening flange enhancing the bending strength of the top cover, and thus making it easier to seal the disk drive. The top cover also provides additional gasket clearance enabling the sealing gasket to more effectively seal those points along the base assembly of the housing which have narrowed thicknesses which are inherently more difficult to seal. Additionally, the arrangement of the gasket with respect to the top cover of the invention serves to create additional space within the base assembly which can be used to house disk drive components without having to change the dimensions of the base assembly. Each of these advantages is achieved with a simple top cover design minimizing material requirements.
These advantages along with others will become more apparent from the description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In accordance with this invention, a top cover for a computer disk drive is provided. Although the invention is primarily characterized as an improvement to a top cover, the invention can also be regarded as an improvement to a computer disk drive housing, which includes the top cover. In its simplest form, the top cover comprises a substantially planar cover member which is sized to fit over the base assembly of the disk drive housing. The top cover further includes a flange or skirt which attaches to the cover member along its peripheral edge. At selected locations along the flange, one or more slots are formed creating openings which extend along desired lengths of the flange. The top cover is made of a unitary or single piece of material, and the flange along with others features of the top cover are formed by bending. The slots are located along the flange at those points where the sealing gasket requires additional room or clearance to expand when placed under compression.
By providing a continuous flange around the periphery of the top cover, the overall bending strength of the top cover is enhanced, thus reducing cover member deformation. By reducing this deformation or distortion, the top cover fits more uniformly over the base assembly, and fewer securing screws are required to compress the sealing gasket to provide an adequate seal. The slots are formed at selected locations along the flange of the top cover enabling the sealing gasket to expand at those locations which have minimal room for gasket clearance. At these points, the gasket can even be shifted or jogged from its normal linear pattern which also provides additional room or clearance within the base assembly to arrange components of the disk drive.